Donald Trump has suggested playing at the 2026 World Cup could be an “incentive” for Russia to end its war with Ukraine.
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the national football team has been banned from competing at international competitions by Fifa and Uefa.
With the conflict in Ukraine still raging – despite Trump’s claims he would end the war on “day one” of being in office – Russia will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
On Tuesday, the first meeting of the Trump administration’s 2026 World Cup taskforce took place, with Trump speaking to reporters alongside Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
The US president was unaware that Russia were banned from the tournament, telling a reporter who asked for his position on the Russia ban: “I didn’t know that, is that right?”
“That is right,” said Infantino.
“They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted.”
Trump then added: “That’s possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right?
“We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. Five thousand young people a week are being killed – it’s not even believable.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has made questionable statements about the World Cup. Earlier this year, he claimed the political tensions between the US and their co-hosts Mexico and Canada could make the tournament ‘more exciting.’
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